so i was thinking about how, as nice as the new ravenwood theme is, many players (including me) were sad to see the old one go. while this feeling could just be passed off as nostalgia, i think there are some valid reasons the new ravenwood theme isnt as successful as the old one:
it gives a completely different mood that doesnt fit as well with the current ravenwood we know
it sounds too much like the arcanum's theme, which was meant to be much different from ravenwood -- ravenwood being a refined academy for teaching student wizards (similar to hogwarts) VS the arcanum being a cosmic hub for advanced independent study, though not an actual school.
to me, the new ravenwood theme sounds more like "The Ravenwood," the ancient magic forest that it once was, while the old ravenwood theme sounds much more like "The Ravenwood School of Magical Arts" that it is today. but as i said, i do like the new theme! so my idea is this:
put the old (revamped) ravenwood theme back where it was outside of Bartleby, but keep the new ravenwood theme inside of Bartleby where the spiral door is.
i feel like the new ravenwood theme would actually fit perfect in there! it would really sell how ancient Bartleby is & hint at what Ravenwood once was, making a strong impact on a new player entering his chamber for the first time. including both themes would be the best of both worlds plus, for max wizards who've completed the story, the spooky darkmoor theme that was added after bartleby got sick is still playing even after we healed him, so theres a great opportunity to make a change like this.
let me know if you guys like this idea my hope is that if the devs see this is something we care about, it will be worth their consideration and, with luck, implementation! thank you for reading
I would personally like Ravenwood to have different music depending on where you were in the game. Later in the game you are an Arcanum member and as such you MUST see the school differently. Maybe after your graduation the music changes? I certainly think that the old Ravenwood theme sets the mood well for the start of the adventure.
so i was thinking about how, as nice as the new ravenwood theme is, many players (including me) were sad to see the old one go. while this feeling could just be passed off as nostalgia, i think there are some valid reasons the new ravenwood theme isnt as successful as the old one:
it gives a completely different mood that doesnt fit as well with the current ravenwood we know
it sounds too much like the arcanum's theme, which was meant to be much different from ravenwood -- ravenwood being a refined academy for teaching student wizards (similar to hogwarts) VS the arcanum being a cosmic hub for advanced independent study, though not an actual school.
to me, the new ravenwood theme sounds more like "The Ravenwood," the ancient magic forest that it once was, while the old ravenwood theme sounds much more like "The Ravenwood School of Magical Arts" that it is today. but as i said, i do like the new theme! so my idea is this:
put the old (revamped) ravenwood theme back where it was outside of Bartleby, but keep the new ravenwood theme inside of Bartleby where the spiral door is.
i feel like the new ravenwood theme would actually fit perfect in there! it would really sell how ancient Bartleby is & hint at what Ravenwood once was, making a strong impact on a new player entering his chamber for the first time. including both themes would be the best of both worlds plus, for max wizards who've completed the story, the spooky darkmoor theme that was added after bartleby got sick is still playing even after we healed him, so theres a great opportunity to make a change like this.
let me know if you guys like this idea my hope is that if the devs see this is something we care about, it will be worth their consideration and, with luck, implementation! thank you for reading
I think you’re missing the point of the music the way it is now; Ravenwood is literally where the Tree of Life is.
The music is so serene and cosmic because the literal father of the spiral is planted in it. Ravenwood is a very sacred place, and while the rest of Wizard City reps the scholarly Wizard school, Ravenwood is meant to be a fount of pure magic. I think the music reflects that well.
Its similarity to the Arcanum is also a great way to use motifs and reference to Ravenwood using the surrounding music, tying together that the Arcanum is the new home and learning ground for the Wizard.
Cori, one of the core arguments I would make for having the old ravenwood music, at least for a time, is that it very effectively gave off a start of the journey vibe in a different way than the Commons back to business vibe. Maybe it would only be the old music until you understood the world tree, as at the beginning the character has no concept of Bartleby as being important.
In the Arcanum, however we were prepared and invited to this place, so keeping the music as it makes a lot of sense.
They are very different places and the music is as much a part of the story as the dialogue or combat is.
I think you’re missing the point of the music the way it is now; Ravenwood is literally where the Tree of Life is.
The music is so serene and cosmic because the literal father of the spiral is planted in it. Ravenwood is a very sacred place, and while the rest of Wizard City reps the scholarly Wizard school, Ravenwood is meant to be a fount of pure magic. I think the music reflects that well.
Its similarity to the Arcanum is also a great way to use motifs and reference to Ravenwood using the surrounding music, tying together that the Arcanum is the new home and learning ground for the Wizard.
i understand what youre saying & agree in a sense! however the point i wanted to make is its not just "The Ravenwood" anymore, the ancient forest of magic it once was; its "The Ravenwood School of Magical Arts" as well, a refined academy for teaching that magic. i felt like the old theme reflected both these sides well, the mystic wonder of the old & the studious exploration of the new. id also argue that wizard city as a whole isnt the school. ravenwood is the actual school, & wizard city is, well, a "city," with many residents who simply live there & arent students. perhaps its comparable to something like stanford -- a city-campus of sorts? (sorry if i explained that badly)
i appreciate what you said about shared motifs & agree for sure. as i said, i do like the new ravenwood music. this is why i felt that the new theme would fit perfectly inside of Bartleby, as his chamber is undoubtedly sacred & reflects the old Ravenwood, a glimpse into the past. its also where the player first begins to understand bartleby's significance as Grandfather Tree, & the significance of ravenwood academy being located around him. and while i agree the arcanum is the new home & learning place for the wizard, i feel its important that the arcanum is established as a different type learning place compared to ravenwood.
i guess id say that my problem with the new ravenwood theme is that it left out the "academy" vibe ("studious exploration") that i felt is key, which made it mix too much with the late-game arcanum vibe as a "step up" to more freeform, independent study. but i like both themes, so i wanted to share a "best of both worlds" idea. i also like @rest's idea of the music changing from old theme to new theme as part of the story progression, similar to areas like bastion in khrysalis & walruskberg in polaris. i respect & appreciate both of you for sharing your thoughts, i enjoy seeing other perspectives
plus, for max wizards who've completed the story, the spooky darkmoor theme that was added after bartleby got sick is 
my hope is that if the devs see this is something we care about, it will be worth their consideration and, with luck, implementation! thank you for reading 
